Device for cleaning ships&#39; bottoms.



No. 68I,562. Patented Aug. 27, l90l.

J. G. MIDDLETON. DEVICE FOR CLEANING Sl-NPS BUTTONS.

(Application filed Dec. 18, 1900.)

(No Model.)

Fig- 1- Nrrn TATES DEVICE FOR CLEANlNG SHIPS BOTTOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,562, dated August 27, 1901.

Application filed December 18, 1900- Serial No. 40,253. iNo model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that 1, JAMES CALVIN MIDDLE- TON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Palatka, in the county of Putnam and State of Florida, have invented a new and Improved Device for Cleaning Ships Bottoms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in devices designed to be used for cleaning ships bottoms or hulls; and the object is to provide a device of this character that may be lowered in the water and moved along the vessel and within which a person may be supported and free to operate suitable tools for removing barnacles or other foreign matter, thus obviating the expense and trouble of docking the vessel.

I will describe a device for cleaning ships bottoms embodying my invention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 shows the hull of a vessel with a device embodying my invention as applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device, and Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of a number of supporting-frames employed.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a tube of flexible material-such, for instance, as duck or canvasmade impervious to water. Attached to the lower end of the tube is a baglike receptacle 2, designed to receive a person, and this bag-like receptacle has arms 3, in which a person cleaning the vessel may place his arms while operating a tool, as indicated in Fig. 1. The device may be weighted at the bottom, if desired, as at 4, which will cause the bag to remain in its lowered position in the water. Near the upper end of the bag-like receptacle 2 glass 5 is inserted, through which a person may observe the work in progress. This glass will be protected by guard-bars 6, which are here shown curved outward at the central portion and connected at the ends to metal strips sur rounding the receptacle. The upper end of the receptacle 2 is connected to the tube 1 by means of a metal band arranged within the ends of said parts and provided with channels, so that when the ends of the parts 1 and 2 are turned over this band they may be firmly clamped in the channels by clamping rings 7. Connected to a ring 8, which is arranged within the device and provided with channels, are brace-rods 9, designed to en gage against the hull of the vessel to hold the device at a proper distance therefrom. Arranged within the upper end of the tube 1 is a ring or frame 10, provided with a channel in which the material of the tube may be clamped by a clamping-ring 11. This ring or frame 10 is provided at the inner side or at the side nearest the vessel with eyes 12, and an eye is provided at the opposite side. The band or ring 8 will also be provided with eyes at opposite sides in line with the upper eyes. Ropes or cables 12 are connected to the eyes 12, and a rope or cable 13 is connected to the outer eye of the band 10, and these ropes or cables connect atthe lower end with the band 8. These ropes or cables while permitting the tube to be extended will prevent its being drawn apart by the weight of the person in the device 2 or having its mesh or seams separated by such weight as to admit water. Intermediate of the upper and lower ends of the tube are brace-frames secured within the tube, and each consists of sections 17 and 18,hinged together. The object in hing ing these sections together is that they may be compactly folded for packing away with the tube and bag-like device A when the device is not in use. These frames are provided with eyes 19 and 20, and the ropes or cables 12 and 13 are connected therewith, so as to maintain said arms at proper distances apart. Ropes or cables 15 and 16, designed to extend wholly around the hull of the vessel, have connection with opposite sides of the tube. The bag-like device 2 will be provided with pockets 21 or the like to receive tools. The ropes 15 and 16 may be passed around the vessel by attaching a weight at the lower looped portion and then lowering the ropes at the end of the vessel and drawing them thereon.

In operation the device is to be lowered in the water, as shown. Then the person intending to operate the cleaningtools will lower himself therein. The bag-like device 2 may be provided on the inner side with draw .r .u. Momentum.

too

strings or other devices for regulating the length of the bag to the size of the person supported therein.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A device for use in cleaning ships bottoms, comprising a tube of flexible material closed at the lower end, a transparent material in the wall of the tube at the lower portion, and supporting-frames connected to the tube and each consisting of pivotally-connected sections, substantially as specified.

2. A device for the purpose described, comprising a tube of flexible material, supporting bands or frames at the upper end of said tube, a bag-like device at the lower end of the tube and having arms, clamping-rings for securing the bag-like device to the lower end of the tube, glass arranged in said baglike device, fastening ropes or cables extending between the upper and lower fastening devioes,and frames surrounding the tube and having connection with said ropes or cables, substantially as specified.

3. A device for the purpose described, comprising a tube of flexible material closed at its lower end and designed to support a person in said closed lower end, a sight-glass at the lower portion, supporting rings or clamps at opposite ends of the tube, supportingframes between said clamping devices, the said supporting-frames surrounding the tube and made in pivotally-connected sections,and ropes or cables connecting with the clamping devices and with said frames and also supporting the device on the hull of a vessel, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES CALVIN MIDDLETON.

\Vitnesses:

R. O. HOWELL, ED. W. CLARKE. 

